Jozy Altidore is on fire and the United States is riding the striker's newly found confidence as it inches closer to clinching a spot in next year's World Cup. After failing to score for the national team for two years, Altidore tallied his third goal in three games to jump start the U.S. to a much-needed 2-0 victory over Panama in a World Cup qualifier at CenturyLink Field on Tuesday. Eddie Johnson, who plays for the hometown Seattle Sounders, added the USA's second strike in the 53rd minute in front of 40,847 fans, the seventh-largest home crowd in U.S. World Cup qualifying history. "Obviously very pleased with our performance," U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. "Throughout the entire game, we were in control of every area on the field. The guys did their job." The U.S., which defeated Jamaica on the road five days earlier, moves into first place in the Hexagonal standings with 10 points following a draw between Mexico and Costa Rica earlier in the night. "Right now we're having fun. But most importantly we're on the same page and have one common goal which is qualifying for the World Cup," Johnson said. "We've got one more game to put ourselves in a good position to make that happen." Altidore opened the scoring in the 36th minute off a brilliant transition play. It started with Michael Bradley opening up the pitch before finding Fabian Johnson, who delivered a low cross to Altidore at the back post. Moments earlier, Altidore was denied a potential penalty kick. Coming off a 31-goal season at club AZ Alkmaar, Altidore had finally found his scoring touch with the national team after tallying against Germany in a friendly earlier this month and against the Reggae Boyz in Kingston on Friday. He had entered the camp on a 24-month run-of-play scoring drought. "I know how forwards think. These guys live for goals. They can give the same performance, but if one game they score, in the other game they don't, they're going to be happy when they score," Bradley said. "He's such an important guy for our team, even on nights when he doesn't (score)." Playing without Jermaine Jones, who suffered a concussion against Jamaica, and the suspended Graham Zusi, Klinsmann needed to make two changes to his lineup from the previous two games. It had been the first time in the Klinsmann era that the U.S. had the same starting XI in back-to-back games. Klinsmann decided to go with Geoff Cameron and Eddie Johnson as replacements, and his decisions paid off as the pair worked together to give the Americans a two-goal cushion early in the second half. Playing at the defensive midfielder spot, Cameron delivered a long, over-the-top pass to Johnson down the right side of the pitch, leaving the veteran one-on-one with Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo. Johnson controlled the ball and easily beat Penedo for his 11th World Cup qualifying goal. "I saw Geoff had time with the ball and it was on his strong foot... I knew I could make a run in behind and I like my chances running without the ball behind the defense," Johnson said. Panama, playing without leading scorer Blas Perez, struggled offensively for much of the night but did manage to nearly score an equalizer at the end of the first half when Luis Tejada got behind the U.S. defensive and beat Tim Howard, but the offside flag was up before the shot was in the net. Panama also nearly scored in second-half stoppage time, but Howard saved Rolando Blackburn's shot. The Americans will host Honduras next Tuesday night in Sandy, Utah.

Conmebol (South America) World cup qualifiers are widely considered one of the most competitive Regions, if not the most competitive to qualify from. 10 teams play home and away games for a total of 18 grueling matches to decide who goes and who stays. This time is no different, though only 9 teams are participating since Brazil is the host country. With only 3-4 games remaining there are still teams fighting to make it, nowhere is the fight more competitive than for 5th place. Let us look at each team's chances starting from the top of the table.

ARGENTINA- Mathematically Argentina can still be eliminated. Realistically that won't happen. Their next game will be at Paraguay and a tie or other results will officially put Argentina in the World Cup. Questions still remain about their defense and defensive midfield, however they have a year to figure that out and an attack that features Messi, Di Maria, Aguero and Higuain will give them a good chance to make it far in Brazil.

COLOMBIA- After a strong tie at Buenos Aires and a convincing win at home against Peru, Colombia is on the verge of returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1998. With players like Falcao, Rodriguez, and Elite Goalkeeping from Ospina, Colombia might just make past the second round in Brazil.

ECUADOR- Though Ecuador only managed 1 point in their last 2 games and have only one remaining home game, their lead over 5th place is large enough to pencil them for Brazil as well. Ecuador problems lie in their defense and suspect goalkeeping, however they have a potent offense that is sure to carry them far in Brazil with the likes of Benitez, Caicedo and Valencia among others.

CHILE- At one point Chile was out of the running, but thanks to a coaching change Chile is the hottest team in qualifying right now and sits in 4th place with 21 points (same as Ecuador). Though they have though games remaining Chile at this point will also qualify and hopefully have a good showing in Brazil. Players like Alexis Sanchez, Fernandez and others are sure make them a though out no matter what group they are drawn in.
URUGUAY- Like Chile, Uruguay was at the bottom of the table until a dramatic win at Venezuela put them in 5th place and in control of their own destiny. With world class players like Suarez, Cavani and Forlan Uruguay is the most talented of the 3 teams fighting for this spot. A crucial game in Lima against Peru can define who will win this spot and continue fighting to make it to Brazil.

VENEZUELA- The only team in South America to have never qualify to the World Cup. Having lost to Uruguay at home have complicated their chances of making their first trip. However 2 of their last 3 games are at home including the Peru game which could define whether they can make their first World cup or not. Either way Venezuela has only grown as a soccer country and it seems inevitable that they will make a World Cup if not now in the near future.

PERU- Rich in soccer history, Peru has not made a World Cup since 1982. There is hope that this squad can change that still. In my opinion this team is as talented as the 85 squad that almost made it. With players like Guerrero, Pizarro, Farfan and others it would seem that Offense would be a strength, however Peru has only averaged 1 goal per game in qualifiers. If they are going to qualify they must grind out wins like they did against Chile and Ecuador. Two huge matches loom, first, home against Uruguay and then away at Venezuela. One thing is for sure, This is the closest Peru has been in contention in quite a while.

BOLIVIA- Though not yet eliminated, for all intends and purposes Bolivia will once again finish another disappointing campaign. What's worse is that there isn't much young talent that can give Bolivia a sense that the future might be brighter, however things may change in a couple of years.

PARAGUAY- Probably the most surprising of all has been the huge fall from South America's most consistent team. Paraguay could always be counted to fight for spot in the World cup campaign after campaign. This time it seems like drastic changes will have to take place if Paraguay is to contend for a spot in 2018.

Predictions- The top 4 teams in the table, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Chile are pretty much in. Bolivia and Paraguay are out. The only remaining question is the half spot between Uruguay Venezuela and Peru. This is a though one, as there are crucial games between these teams that will decide that last spot. Logic tells me that when in doubt you go with the more accomplished team, in this case Uruguay is my pick to get this last spot and fight it out with the 5th place team in Asia to go to Brazil. What do you think? comments and questions are welcomed.

Soccer is regarded as the most popular sport in nearly every part of the world. The majority of  soccer fans identify themselves with certain clubs either at the club or international level. When selecting a gift for a soccer fan there are specific factors you need to put into consideration. It may be a good idea to know what the person already owns to prevent giving the same gift. You must learn the team anyone you wish to provide gift supports, favorite players and the famous achievements they have accomplish. Making a mistake when giving a present might cause disaster, as an example, giving a Liverpool fan a Chelsea gift.

One effective soccer gift that's unique is a personalized signed photograph, poster, or postcard from the fan's favorite Soccer team or player. They are soccer gifts that lots of  fans would appreciate. You can purchase a photo then send it to the team with a stamped envelope and a note explaining how the recipient is a great fan of the team. This can be accomplished with any picture you buy or get from the club, player or perhaps calendar. In the event you request an individualized dedication, many clubs will reply within a short time particularly those inside the premier league. The majority of the clubs possess a signing session once a week. Asking for a few dedicated words helps to personalize the gift for the person you might be giving the gift to.

Another soccer gift a large number of soccer fans appreciate are bibliographies with their favorite managers or players. They can be received through postage but they will set you back. However, there are additional unknown books which you can find that have such biographies. It is advisable you look on the internet find some websites that can assist you to acquire some rare book with player and club histories. The majority of the websites provide links on which is often bought on the web or give contacts from the stores to purchase from them.

There are many great soccer memorabilia that could become very effective soccer gifts. They reveal a brief history from the club along with other focus from the favorite team's history. For instance, listed below are DVDs with the greatest goals scored by the team, best goal scorers as well as other successes from the team or players. There are numerous stores that sell these items with convenient delivery methods.

You can also even give other common soccer gifts such as soccer scarves, Soccer ball or teams kits. These are typical soccer gifts that demonstrate to others that they're proud to belong to a certain team. These gifts are available is many Soccer sites. Finally some other ideas Soccer Gift ideas that you may have not thought about are Soccer mugs, cuff links, Clocks and Flags just to name a few.

A great way that loyal and dedicated fans of soccer show their support and allegiance to their team is by owning soccer flags. There are several kinds of flags available, ranging from small hand-held ones to huge flags made to be hung on a wall, or carried by someone. Regardless of size and style, however, all of them serve the same purpose. They all are created and owned to proudly show allegiance and loyalty to a specific club or national team.

Many people take their soccer flags to games, proudly displaying them for other supporters to see. The flags may bear the crest of the team, the club colors, a graphic of the player or manager, or popular slogans or chants symbolic of the club. Some fans can even write their unique messages around the flags for others to rate, particularly when they need to show their support to a certain player of the team. At high-profile games, some flags will appeal to the media and will be displayed on the tv screen after a live broadcast, or perhaps in a neighborhood or national newspaper the next day.

Fans sometimes wear their soccer flags as capes like superheros when attending games, and they're not invariably made it through to produce. During any given soccer game, you will have countless fans making use of their flags draped around their shoulders or bodies, showing their support on their favorite club by doing so rather than holding their flags high above their heads.

Soccer flags are not only popular for domestic league games but they are also popular for international matches where people wish to proudly show support for their national team. These flags may contain the country's crest as displayed on the badge of the team's shirt, or it may just be the country's flag. In the national anthems sung before every international game, is extremely common to see a lot of flags, if not more, held high by loyal supporters to present encouragement on their team ahead of the match.

 Not all soccer flags make it to games, however. Not all fans have the opportunity to visit games to guide their team personally, but that does not mean they're not real fans and cannot show their allegiance in different ways. It's not uncommon for soccer fans to have flags displayed inside their homes so that their friends and family can see where their loyalty stands. Soccer flags look fantastic when hung on the walls of the bedroom, or perhaps a living room of people who are truly dedicated. Some people even choose to hang their flags inside their windows to show their support to any passers by.

There are several ways that soccer flags can be utilized to exhibit true support to a team. They come in a range of shapes and sizes, nevertheless every soccer fan who owns a flag does so for any common purpose: to exhibit undying love, loyalty and support on their team. Owning a soccer flag is a true show of dedication, pride and commitment to a soccer team.

Soccer fans are die hard fans of the sport. They live for the World cup and other big soccer tournaments. Fans support their teams in all weather conditions; rain, sleet, or snow all around the world.

The question is, why do soccer fans choose soccer scarves to demonstrate their loyalty to their favorite country or club soccer team? When wearing soccer scarves, what message is the soccer fan sending to the rest of the sporting world and their fans?

*Essential soccer item
Soccer scarves is the one accessory to which soccer fans are uniquely identified by from other sport fans. The soccer scarf is like a boy scout badge of honor for the die hard soccer fan spanning the globe. This is a century old tradition originating in England. Fans of the sport would adorn them selves with their country or club soccer scarf and the new tradition rapidly spread across the world to other soccer fans.

*Iconic
The soccer ball is known as the tool to play the game. Soccer scarves are known as the iconic cultural accessory amongst fans. Soccer scarves generate pride within the fan base.

*Quiet understanding
A soccer game with stands filled with fans wearing soccer scarves is a quiet understanding. The avid soccer fan knows when one wears the scarf, there exists an understanding and appreciation for the tradition of the sport. There's not a noise machine to measure the quiet sound of fan culture. The fans of this sport demonstrate their loyalty for their team, their respect for their team, and their love for the game by wearing the soccer scarves. This fan knows what to expect of the game. This fan knows the importance of the entire soccer game being played, not just a half. This fan loves, understands, and is an unwavering supporter of the sport. Yes, this feeling is all demonstrated by simply wearing the soccer scarves.

*Camaraderie
Soccer scarves go beyond the physical activity of wearing the scarf. Prior to and immediately after the playing of a soccer game, fans will raise their soccer scarves high into the sky to demonstrate their pride for their country or club soccer team. This pre and post game activity has become the universal language of solitude the soccer fans have for their country or club team.

There's not another sport around the world that has such an amazing way to engage their fans. Soccer scarves are an essential clothing item for soccer fans. Scarves have been and will continue to be sold by the millions. Don't expect to attend a country or club soccer game without showing your team pride and wearing your soccer scarf. If you bring your family, friends, co-workers, or clients, be sure to offer them a soccer scarf. You will surely offend the avid soccer fan and appear out of place without your scarf on hand.

This long standing tradition that began centuries ago continues to grow. Fans will continue to come together to demonstrate tradition, pride, complete and intimate understanding for the game, along with fan camaraderie.